Resources

Before you embark on your journey to Shikoku, the following books might help:

1. Shikoku Japan 88 Route Guide (in English)

Get the 2nd edition (8/2009), published by Buyodo Co. Ltd.
You can purchase from http://www.davidmoreton.com/  or if you don't mind buying it until you get
there, it's available at Temple 1. Despite some inaccuracies with bathrooms and rest huts, this was the book we lived by day in and day out. It includes all the temples, hiking trail, elevation, accommodations with phone numbers, restaurants, convenient stores, mileage, and a page of useful phrases for making reservations which turned out to be essential.

2. The 88 Temples of Shikoku Island, Japan
    by: Bishop Taisen Miyata

We brought this book along with us on the journey. It provides some history about every temple, as well as stories of events that occurred at the temples. Can be purchased for $25 by sending check to:

Bishop Taisen Miyata
Los Angeles Kōya-san Buddhist Temple
342 First Street
Los Angeles, Ca, 90012
(213) 624-1267

3. A Journey of the Soul by Tatsuro Muro and David C. Moreton. Pretty similar to #2 in that it provide history about each temple. Can be purchased off of: http://www.davidmoreton.com/
Because we were trying to limit our weight, I left this book behind and took #2 with us on the trip.

4. Japanese Pilgrimage by Oliver Statler

I had started reading this book before the trip, but never had a chance to finish. From the parts I did read, it's more of a story-telling book- not so much a guide for doing the trip. Good for bedtime reading.

5. Personal Journal

This is a must to record your experiences and journey. My next posts will mainly come from my journal entries, and from my memory for anything not recorded. One of my friends bought a moleskine journal for me and had my friends sign pages inside of it. It was so thoughtful and was a good way to get reminders of home while away on this pilgrimage. Thanks Alice!

Success!

It's been a few months now since I've posted but I am back and with good news...we (my sister and I) successfully completed the Shikoku 88 Temple circuit from March 7 to April 25 (strictly Shikoku, 1 day extra on both ends for Koyasan in the beginning and at the end).

50 days
1200km traveled (~750 miles)
~560 miles hiked
15 days of rain

Over the next few weeks, I'll continually update my blog and website with stories from our trip. Website and pictures are also linked off the left-hand side of the blog. I plan on translating my posts into Chinese too...and who knows, maybe one day I'll have learned enough Japanese to be able to come back and translate these into Japanese as well.


已經數月沒有在部落格上寫有關四國島的事情，但我有好消息報告。 我姊跟我從3月7日至4月25日順利平安地完成四國 88 寺的路程。

50天
1200 公里（〜750英里）
〜560英里徒步
15天下雨天

在接下來的幾個星期，我會常更新我的部落格和網站。網站和圖片的網頁可以從左側直接連接。

Why didn't you tell me?

Last October, I was on vacation in Tokyo (Tokyo/Seoul/Taipei trip) and checked my facebook account. It turns out that Noam, a college dorm-mate, who lived on 6th floor of spens black, had just come back from Shikoku! Who knew! I wish I had known earlier. Here I was thinking that nobody I knew had heard of the Shikoku pilgrimage aside from me talking about it constantly, and he had just completed the trek! I am quite impressed. This is a picture taken by Noam in his henro gear. He was really hardcore though. He camped most nights, which I am definitely not doing on my journey. I don't want the extra weight of camping gear and I figure I need some comfort after ridiculous hours of hiking every day. Yes this is an impermanent body, but even impermanent things need hot baths and warm beds.

Remember April 8, 2010

I pulled this fortune from a fortune cookie on Jan 8, 2010. April 8, 2010, I will be somewhere on Shikoku, just 1 month into my trip. I wonder what good things are in store. With any luck, I'll be enlightened on this day and will have a glowing aura around me. Well, I can wish, can't I? Here's to enlightenment!  :)

Tickets Booked!

One step closer. Tickets booked. On March 2, I leave for tpe to pick up Jean and give myself a little time to get over jet lag. On March 6, we leave for Osaka!

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2010. This should be a good year with lots of new experiences, mainly Shikoku!

This morning I went to the Zen center to do 三皈依. My dharma name for this temple is now 傳今. 傳 is the first character that everyone has. 今 is for the present, as in today, this life, etc. I like it. This now means that I'm now a disciple of Master 惟覺.

三皈依 means that you're taking the 3 refuges, with the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. You're striving to return to your true nature with the help of the 3 Jewels. Ceremonies like this are usually for new Buddhists, but people are more than welcome to take refuge with different masters. I still consider 妙蓮老和尚 to be my main 師父 and 願慈 to be my main dharma name because I know he personally gave us our names. The good things about these names are that they can be reminders for how we should practice. For me, I take these names for me to be more compassionate and to reach enlightenment in this lifetime. Here is to making 2010 a good year for my cultivation!

八關齋界

The Zen center of Sunnyvale is having a 7 day zen retreat over the Christmas/New Year's break. It must've been popular because it was full, so I signed up to volunteer instead. While signing up, the receptionist told me to sign up for 八關齋界 and 三皈依 too, and since I wasn't going anywhere over the break, I thought sure, why not. I think this was my 2nd time ever holding the vows of 八關齋界 for 24 hours.

1. I undertake to abstain from causing harm and taking life (both human and non-human).
2. I undertake to abstain from taking what is not given (stealing).
3. I undertake to abstain from sexual misconduct.
4. I undertake to abstain from wrong speech: telling lies, deceiving others, manipulating others, using hurtful words.
5. I undertake to abstain from using intoxicating drinks and drugs, which lead to carelessness.
6. I undertake to abstain from eating at the wrong time (the right time is eating once, after sunrise, before noon).
7. I undertake to abstain from singing, dancing, playing music, attending entertainment performances, wearing perfume, and using cosmetics and garlands (decorative accessories).
8. I undertake to abstain from luxurious places for sitting or sleeping, and overindulging in sleep.

It wasn't too hard since I've already taken the 5 precepts. As part of the volunteering, I helped out in the kitchen and I stayed overnight in their apartments and had to wake up at 4:30. 3 things I want to note from this experience:

1. working as an overnight volunteer is tough. I've helped in the kitchen and as 行堂 before, but mainly work the hour or so before lunch. In this case, some kitchen staff were in there as early as 4am getting ready for breakfast. The idea is to make everything run smoothly for the practitioners, so there's an army of volunteer staff behind the scenes serving. There was about 50 or so retreat participaters and easily 20 or so volunteers. It was pretty impressive to see all of the operations behind the scene, especially old grandmas working so diligently and zealously.

2. I had a good heart to heart talk with my two roommates. we returned back to our rooms around 5:30pm and since it was too early to sleep and nothing to do, we stayed up chatting til 9pm. one was called 傳奉 and the other one i'm not sure what her name was. In either case, both are Vietnamese immigrants but speak mandarin and cantonese. Talk about impressive! It's always fun being able to meet other 善知識 who talk about their experiences and are able to help guide you along your practice.

3. I noticed my tolerance for retreats is getting lower. I used to do 7 day retreats no problem, but i was kind of anxious to come home after just one day. I think partly because I was a volunteer and there was a lot of down-time and often some chaos or aimless wandering. I think Shikoku will help with this, especially since there will be lots of down time at night to reflect and be mindful.